


Spaces Between Us

by sinandcakeinorlais



Series: Tumbling Towards Fenders: Works from Tumblr [7]
Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Angst, Claustrophobia, Humor, M/M, Phobias, budding friendship, pre-Fenders relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-07
Updated: 2015-08-07
Packaged: 2018-04-13 12:30:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4522023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinandcakeinorlais/pseuds/sinandcakeinorlais
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written in celebration of Fenders Appreciation Week</p><p>Inspired by a headcanon discussion on Tumblr about Fenris having claustrophobia.</p><p>Fenris and Anders are trapped together in a cave-in while helping Hawke and Varric fight a dragon. Through a shared fear, they connect in a way they never thought possible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spaces Between Us

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ryuutsu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryuutsu/gifts).



> ryuutsu, this one is for you. <3 Thank you for the inspiration! 
> 
> Happy Fenders Appreciation Week everyone!

“Everyone! Take cover!”

Fenris fell against the cave wall, the wind from the dragon’s massive wings blowing him off his feet before he could heed Hawke’s warning. He felt a hand grab his shoulder, yanking him behind a pile of stones just as a blast of fire hurled toward him.

“You okay, Broody?” Varric asked, loading Bianca while peeking over their temporary shelter. Fenris scrambled to his knees, his broadsword tightly clenched in one hand. He joined Varric in peering over the stones, searching for their other companions. The dragon was perched high above them among a group of stalagmites, still shooting fire to the cave floor and filling the area with smoke, making it almost impossible for the elf to see anything.

“I am fine.” He replied, sinking back down, taking a moment to access the sharp pain that was ripping through his chest. He laid his hand across his ribs, wincing as he tried to catch his breath. “Did you see Hawke anywhere?”

“Nope.” Varric fired off six arrows at the dragon, then ducked back down. “I was kind of busy trying not let my ass catch on fire. Hawke’s a big boy. This isn’t his first dragon, you know.”

Fenris let out a disgusted sigh. “I am fully aware, dwarf. I do not like the fact that we are separated.”

“Aw, do you miss Hawke that much?” Varric chuckled, cocking Bianca’s trigger and firing again.

Fenris shot him a look of disapproval, ignoring the obvious undertones of the dwarf’s question. “I only meant that we are easier targets to that beast if we stand alone. We need to regroup.”

The sound of fast approaching footsteps halted their conversation, and before Fenris could ready his sword, Anders appeared from the cloud of smoke and quickly sank down to the cave floor beside Varric.

“Mind if I join you?” He asked lightheartedly through a cough, brushing at the black streaks on the sleeves on his coat. “That dragon isn’t playing very nice at the moment.”

“See, Broody,” Varric pointed at Anders with his thumb. “If Blondie can make it out of there, this will be a cake walk for Hawke.”

“I feel like I should be insulted by that, Varric.” Anders scoffed, pushing back his fallen hair behind his ears. “All of you always seem to doubt how resilient I can be in these situations."

"Enough, both of you!” Fenris snapped, grinding his teeth as he slowly settled on his rear, gauntlet still clutching his rib cage. “Someone needs to go find Hawke.”

“He was with me, before that blasted fire storm happened.” Anders turned his head, watching the dragon fly over to another perch. “He shoved me into a crevice in the cave wall, then ran the other direction. I think he was drawing the dragon away from us, after what happened to-” He looked over at Fenris, eyes full of worry as the elf leaned his head back against the stone.

“Blondie, stay here with the elf. I’ll go after Hawke.” Varric ordered, reloading his crossbow.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Varric." Anders replied, shooting the dwarf a look of disapproval.

"No worries, Blondie! I got this!" Varric moved around Fenris, waiting for a break in the smoke cloud. “This isn't my first dragon either.”

Fenris snorted, closing his eyes as he tried to block out the pain that was shooting through him. “I suppose you could lull the beast into submission by reading it one of your novels."

Anders choked, catching his mouth with his hand, but he couldn't stop from laughing. "That might make it more angry, Fenris. Varric doesn't need anymore bad reviews."

"Oh, har har har! You guys are _hilarious_! One poorly received book and no one ever lets you forget it." Varric let out a frustrated sigh. "You assholes stay here. I'll be right back."

Anders watched Varric disappear into the smoke, his laughter dying down as he looked over at Fenris, who was still holding his eyes closed, his breathing slowed and slightly hitched. Anders scooted closer, catching his balance as his boots slid over the gravel, and he placed himself a few inches from Fenris, his back still hugging the short stone wall.

"Are you all right?"

Fenris opened one eye, watching Anders in his peripheral. "If I said yes, would you leave me be?"

"No, because I know you would be lying." Anders pulled the leather band from his head and re-gathered his hair, nodding at how Fenris was clutching his chest. "I also know that the dragon cracked a few of your ribs when it struck you with its tail."

"You are not laying a hand on me, mage." Fenris turned away, teeth clenched as he turned his upper body. "I will survive."

"Not if you don't keep still." Anders finished tying his hair and settled back against the stone. "I would offer you a health potion, but Hawke insisted on carrying them all. So if you don't let me heal you-"

"I said no!" Fenris growled, piercing Anders with wide green eyes. "I will not tell you again!" He rolled back on his side, ignoring the angry glare that was returned to him. Anders crossed his arms over his chest, turning his head the opposite direction.

"Stubborn jackass elf." He muttered loudly, not caring if Fenris heard him. "Don't bother coming to me if you puncture a lung then."

They sat in silence, the roar of the dragon echoing around the cave walls behind them, the ground beneath them shaking each time the animal landed. Anders continuously brushed dust from the ceiling as it fell on him, but after a few minutes he began to notice the dust was turning into pebbles. He glanced upwards and watched as cracks formed, cutting through the stone at an alarming speed. A huge chunk of the rock suddenly fell between them, causing Fenris to jump and roll back over. Anders cursed and sat up in a crouched position, still watching as the cracks become greater in number.

"The limestone in this cave is reacting to the fire." Anders pointed to the stone above them. "We need to move. Now!"

Fenris noted the splits in the stone, but then frowned at Anders. "And go where exactly? We're cornered by a high dragon, and I am in too much pain to hold it back as you scurry to safety!"

Anders let out a repulsed gasp as he straighten up, his lanky form leaning over the elf. "I do not need you to protect me like some damsel in distress, you sodding elf! I'm the one who's going to have to carry you out of here!"

Fenris exhaled sharply out of his nose, his eyes narrowed at Anders as he placed a hand on the wall, using the stone for support as he stood. "You will be doing no such thing, mage! I already told you to keep your hands off of me! I will make it on my own!"

“Do you really expect to outrun that thing in your condition?” Anders shouted back. “Either you let me heal you, or I'm slinging you over my shoulder, and then you can happily kick and scream all the way to the exit!”

“Fool mage, I said-!”

“LOOK OUT!” Anders screamed, diving at Fenris, and falling to the ground as the ceiling collapsed over the stone barrier. With the elf under him, Anders cast an arcane shield over them, then covered his head with his arms and remained motionless as more boulders fell around them, the ground beneath them quaking relentlessly. Anders squeezed his eyes closed and held his breath, fixating on the smell of leather beneath him, the sharp pull of gauntlets that were tightly gripping to his coat, and the soft tickle of hair against his chin. Fenris didn't move, but he moaned in pain through clenched teeth, his lyruim brands glowing from the pull of Anders's magic.

Within minutes, the ground stopped moving and all was silent. Anders lifted his head, opening his eyes and blinking into the darkness that surrounded them. He placed his palms on the cave floor, lifting up his upper body, and his mouth gaped open in shock as he followed the wall of boulders all the way back up to where the ceiling had broken off. His eyes darted around excitedly, his heart racing in his chest, and he swallowed back the sob that was ready to burst from his throat.

“Trapped. We're-we're trapped in...”

“GET OFF OF ME! NOW!”

Anders blinked, then looked back down at Fenris. The elf had released his hold and was now pushing Anders away, but was unable to move the mage on his own. The light from his brands was fading slowly, and it made Anders panic even more.

“No, you-you have to keep-the darkness-”

“What are you mumbling about, mage? Get off of me or I'll rip your heart out without remorse!”

Anders pushed off the ground and fell backwards onto his rear, his distraught gaze going back to wall of rocks that separated them from the rest of the cave. “We're-I'm trapped. I'm trapped in here.”

Fenris pushed himself back to his feet, wrapping his arms tightly around himself, squeezing back the tears that formed in the corners of his eyes. He glanced over at Anders and watched as the mage slowly backed himself into the far wall, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession.

“No way out..”Anders muttered, his voice growing softer with each panicked breath. “I can't-I can't handle-it's so dark in here.”

“What has come over you, mage? Snap out of it!” Fenris turned and staggered to the stones, placing his gauntlet-covered hand on one of the larger boulders as he looked for a weakness in the wall. “VARRIC! HAWKE! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?”

“Trapped. We're trapped.” Anders shook his head then buried his face in his hands. “No one can hear you. No one is coming.”

Fenris whipped around, nostrils flared as he glared at the mage. “Then stop sniveling like a coward and help me find a way out!”

“There's no way out.” Anders continued, whispering to himself as if he was all alone. He pulled his knees into his chest, his knuckles losing color as he gripped them tightly. “No one is coming for you. No one can hear you. The darkness-”

The elf let out a loud, frustrated growl and went back to the wall, walking slowly along the stones, his gauntlet scrapping aggressively and causing small sparks to fly around him. When he reached the end of the fallen rocks, he turned around, his steps becoming more agitated as he moved back to the other side, the gauntlet digging deeper into the wall, ripping and flinging the limestone to the cave floor.

“HAWKE! VARRIC!” Fenris screamed again, suddenly slamming his fist into the rocks. “ _Fasta vass_! _Abs te ut dimittas_!”

Anders put his hands back to his face and covered his eyes. “It's so dark. I can't-I can't do this again.”

“ _Venhdis_ , Anders!” Fenris roared against the wall, pounding it with his fist once more “Shut your fucking mouth!”

At the sound of his name, Anders removed his hands and stared blankly at Fenris, who looked back at him with bared teeth, eyes wide with rage. He let out a nervous chuckle while giving the elf a forced smile, then suddenly released the hard sobs that had been catching in his throat. Tears soon followed, and Anders could do nothing more than fold his arms over his knees and tuck himself away from the elf's confused gaze. The unexpected silence from the mage made Fenris feel uneasy, and he readied himself for an attack, expecting the abomination that Anders called Justice to surface and lash out at him. But the spirit stayed quiet, which confused Fenris even more.

“ _Prorsus inutilis.”_ The elf whispered to himself, his forehead falling against the cold stones. He inhaled deeply, stifling a whimper as his lungs pushed against his broken ribs. He put his palm to the wall, tapping at it with his finger, the scraping of the metal ringing loudly in his ear. He closed his eyes and tapped again, one finger becoming two, then five, the scraping becoming overwhelming in the silent air, his teeth clenching from the pain it caused.

A vision suddenly flashed in his head, and he squeezed his eyes tighter as a wave of agony shot down his spine and spread through the lyruim that was buried deep in his skin. He clenched his fists, the sensation of cold metal bars lingering on his bare palms, the ghosts of iron shackles cutting at his wrists. He could see others watching him, talking with inaudible words to each other. Someone jerked his shackles, another kicked at his cage. Fenris hugged closer to wall as the pain went through him again, unable to stop himself from crying out in distress. Someone was using their magic on him, pulling at his brands with nothing more than malicious intent. The laughter echoed around him, loud and abhorrent, the spell being cast on him becoming stronger by the second.

Just as Fenris felt as he was going to be ripped apart, the pain stopped, the vision faded away. He only relaxed for a moment, but then let out a ferocious scream, the lyruim blazing at full force as he phased out his arm and shoved it deep into the stone wall, crushing everything in its path. Another scream and he punched through the wall again, tears forcing their way down his cheeks. He took his wrath out on the wall once more, then stepped back, his anger giving way to exhaustion. He stared at the gaping holes through his wet eyes, all of the hope of escaping falling away like the pebbles that fell around his feet when he realized that he had barely made a dent in the pile of rocks that had trapped them.

Fenris sank down to his knees, then fell on his rear, back against the wall, the pain in his ribs coming back full force as he gasped for air. He wanted to scream again, not caring that his throat was scratchy and parched, but no sound came out, only more silent tears fell from his eyes. He ripped off his dusty gauntlets and threw them aside, bitterly wiping the water away with the base of his palms. He buried his fingers his hair and held his head down, trying with what little energy he had left to push away his tears.

“Fenris?”

The elf jerked his head up, his white hair falling haphazardly over his eyes. Anders was staring at him, his amber gaze full of heartfelt concern. Fenris looked away, not able to met the mage's eyes, choosing instead to stare at the rubble between his feet.

“What, mage?” Fenris asked, his deep voice rough and shaking with embarrassment. Anders slowly rose to his feet, following the fading light of the elf's brands through the darkness, then slid down the wall, mere inches from where Fenris sat.

“Are you all right?”

Without warning, Fenris burst into a shaky fit of hoarse laughter, his hand holding his ribs while he wiped at his right eye. Anders let his shoulders sink and he began to move away when Fenris grabbed his arm, still laughing as he held the mage in place.

“Isn't that what started this whole mess?” He let go of Anders and wiped at his other eye. “Perhaps you should stop asking me that.”

Anders felt a shy smile take over his mouth, and he joined in on the elf's laughter. He sighed as the laughter faded moments later, the smile still remaining as he picked up one of Fenris's discarded gauntlets, using the sleeve of his coat to remove the thick layer of dust.

“I didn't know you were claustrophobic, Fenris.”

The elf raised an eyebrow. “Claus..tro-what is that? I am unaware of that term.”

“Claustrophobic.” Anders repeated with a short giggle. “You don't like being closed off in small spaces.”

Fenris pondered on Anders's words, flicking his hair out of his eyes when he finally spoke. “Is that what happened to you? Are you claus-tro-phobic as well?”

“Yes.” Anders sighed again, laying the clean gauntlet in his lap then picking up the other. “I...everyone reacts to it differently. Of course, I don't think I've ever seen anyone react the way you did. That was-” He paused, then looked Fenris right in the eye. “It was frightening. And...I was worried about you.”

Fenris felt a flush of heat rise suddenly in his cheeks and he quickly broke their eye contact. “I-I cannot speak of it. It was a flash...of something. I am not comfortable talking about it.”

Anders nodded. “Fair enough.” He finished cleaning the second gauntlet, then handed them back to Fenris, who gently took them back. “I do have to thank you. If it wasn't for your lyruim flaring up, I don't think I would have calmed down. Justice was trying his best to sooth me, but it wasn't helping. I-I needed the light.”

“You fear the darkness as well?” Fenris asked, his curiosity piqued.

“It's all intertwined.” Anders spoke as he motioned with his hands. “A lot of things compiled and clumped together. A lesser man would probably go insane with all of the things going on in my head.”

“What made you this way?” The elf asked, carefully turning his body around to face Anders, leaning his upper body back against the wall for support. “What caused this fear you have?”

“You...actually _want_ to know why I'm claustrophobic?” Anders asked, taken aback with the sudden interest Fenris was giving him. “This isn't some trick of yours, is it? I tell you my little secrets, then later on when I make you angry again, you throw it back in my face. Or you sit there and berate me about my feelings on how poorly I was treated during my time in the Circle.”

Fenris sighed heavily, his eyes rolling in exasperation. “No, _Anders_. I sincerely would like to know.”

Anders narrowed his eyes with suspicion, then suddenly started smirking mischievously. “All right, but only on one condition. You let me heal your ribcage first.”

“ _Fasta vass_...” Fenris cursed as he shook his head. “Fine. I give you permission.”

“Good.” Anders chuckled, then gave the elf a flirty wink. “I knew you would 'cave in' eventually.”

The elf moaned, putting his face into his open palm. “How you continue to make light of such weighty topics, I will never understand.”

Anders swung his legs around until he was kneeling, his hands glowing blue with healing magic. He hovered over the elf's chest, and the two connected their gaze once more. “Well, maybe we should work on that, Fenris. A little bit of understanding goes a long way.”

This time, Fenris didn't look away. “That it does, mage. For once, we agree on something.”


End file.
